It's been raining all day!
It started as a soft pit-pat on the skylights about 9am. It's about 10:30pm and it's still coming down.
The photo is a little blurry but you get the idea. The streets were covered with water. On this one stretch called River Road, we saw three accidents (in about 2 miles). It was crazy!
We went out to visit the new house. The framing is going up! They're already working on the second floor.
What is your tradition when it comes to gifts for the adults in your family?
Do you get a gift for every sister, brother, parent, and married in spouse? Do you get couple gift for each married couple? Do you do a grab bag gift exchange where you buy gifts for one adult relative (and one adult relative buys for you)?
Now that I'm married with children, I tell my family to focus their efforts on the kiddos. I end up with one gift from my folks (& my younger sister who actually does the shopping) and a couple gift from my older sister & BIL. I buy a couple gift for my folks, a couple gift for my older sister & BIL, and an individual gift for my younger sister (her birthday is 3 days after Xmas so I make it one GOOD gift).
As for my hubby's side? At Thanksgiving we pick names out of a hat. We each buy gifts for one person. This year, I buy for my FIL & my BIL buys for me. My hubby buys for my BILs girfriend & his Mom buys for him. We email our "wish" list to our designated buyer.
I tend to put practical things on my list. I ask for basic clothing items - jeans, sweaters, & tshirts. I also for appliances I really want. One year I put a fancy toaster & blender that I'd never buy for myself. This year I put a Shark Lightweight Bagless Upright Vacuum on my list. Why? Because in the new house I'll have a ton of tile to keep clean. I don't want to have to sweep constantly. A quick swipe around the kitchen & nook with this handy item should do the trick. Some might think the stuff I ask for is boring. But I USE every single one of those practical items.
So what's on YOUR holiday list this year? Do you like to get practical items? or do you like to get one extravagent gift?
It's so interesting to watch the Bear learn to communicate with us. Here are some of the latest developments!
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Bear: DOE!!! [Pointing to the TV Cabinet]
Meaning: He wants to watch DORA the Explorer. What's the funniest is watching him jump around and run in circles during the opening song because he's SO happy that it's on.
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Bear: WAY!
Meaning: Mr. Ray is just about to show up in "Finding Nemo". He keeps on saying it until we acknowledge that we see Mr. Ray.
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Bear: TURL
Meaning: Crush and the rest of the turtles are about to show up on "Finding Nemo". He keeps on saying this too until we point that we see those turtles on the EAC.
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Bear: [Sitting in his carseat] Cough-cough-cough...
Meaning: Hand over that sippy cup lady! Can't you hear I'm parched?
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Bear: [Sitting in his carseat tapping the window] Dow...
Meaning: Open the window up! ALL the way...so I can feel the wind against the tender skin on my face! I don't CARE if it's only 35 degrees outside!
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Bear: CHEE! [Grabbing a finger on either hand and pulling us to the refrigerator]
Meaning: I want a slice of cheese. But I'll take a cheese stick if it's handy.
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Bear: MOW!
Meaning: I want more food people! Where's the food? Can't you see there's a growing boy here?
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Yeah, our little boy is making his wants well known. What're your kiddos doing to let you know what they want?
Me: [Lying in bed stretching] Good morning, hon.
Hubs: [Stopping in his tracks & looking at me] Umm...
Me: What?
Hubs: There's no water.
Me: [Bolting upright in bed] No water?!
Hubs: Nope. The pipes must have froze up.
We're at a far corner of our complex so we get exposed to the wind & cold moreso than the units on the interior.
Me: Did you call maintenance? Having no water is considered an emergency.
Hubs: No, I didn't. What's the number?
Me: [Remember I'm still in bed?] I don't have it memorized. It's programmed in my cell.
Hubs: [Brushing his hair]
I get up. Brush my hair. Straighten the bed. Go into the kitchen to start my coffee (we use bottled water).
He continues getting ready for work. He LEAVES.
That's right folks. He left for work without calling the maintenance department.
I grab my cell 2 minutes after he leaves. Of course, it's only 7:10am but it's an emergency, right? I get the answering service. They get my address and phone number. Ten minutes later, the tech calls me. He's got another stop to make but he'll come right after that.
8:15am...knock on the door. Woohoo! He's HERE! He fires up one of those small gas lighters and warms up the pipe outside. We chat while he's working.
Me: So is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future?
Tech: Go ahead and drape a blanket on these exposed pipes. That should do the trick.
Me: Okay. So did anyone else call this morning about no water?
Tech: Yeah. I checked the empty unit [pointing to the unit diagonal to us] and it was frozen up too. Last year, I told the supervisor that we needed to get these pipes insulated. They were busy building two other complexes that they put it on the backburner.
Me: So you warned them last winter about the issue?
Tech: Yup! After the couple of calls we got this morning, the supervisor said he was going to call up the weekend crew to get the pipes insulated.
Me: So, you all have two additional subdivisions, which means there's even MORE units to have insulated than last year. Which means it's going to take more time and more personnel to do it?
Tech: Yeah. Go figure.
So about 8:30am, I was able to use the "facilities"...that's right folks...I held it until there was running water. The upside is that I did call early and the guy came out quickly. Just think what would have happened if I'd let my hubby take care of the problem? Please...remember the heating issue from a couple weeks ago?
WHO would have known that there was another use for paper towels?
My kids are building towers with the paper towel rolls that we bought at CostCo the other day.
What can I say? It's keeping them busy! Plus the stuff is soft and won't hurt either one of them.
I've let loose the holiday colors!
Yes, yes, yes...I caved in. This is as fancy as it gets for me though. I've only got the FREE blog-city account, so I can't do an fancy-shmancy graphics. I've seen a LOT of creativity out there in the blog world lately.
If you haven't checked out anyone else's new "skin" then check these sites....
My sisters (my younger sister and my older sister) and I tend to get silly when we're together. We didn't let the long weekend go by without a few "sister moments".
I noticed that my older sister has lost some weight. I told her to buy the specific jeans that I like to buy. I told her that she'd probably fit into a size 8! She mocked me "Yeah, right!" What did I do? I pulled her into the bathroom and let her try on MY jeans. The ones I was wearing! The LOOK on her face as she pulled them on and zipped them without any problems was PRICELESS! She couldn't believe she fit in them! Now she can go on-line and check for sale items without having to venture to the store!
You should have seen us three hightail it out of the room but trying to act casual about it when we figured out that it was my oldest sister (and black sheep) that my Mom was talking on the phone with. None of us wanted to talk to her (she talks endlessly about herself).
The two had just arrived at my Mom's house when my younger sister said that my older sister wanted to look at houses. Did I say anything to anyone? I basically bolted for the door. We were going out without any carseats or boosters in my younger sister's sports car. Woohoo! We barely made it back in time for dinner!
How we all starting praising my Mom on how fantastic her lasagna is. We were trying to convince her that it had been WAY too long since she'd made it. And when she did decide to make it she'd have to send out a call that that was what she was cooking. I'm sure everyone would be at her house in no time flat. My BIL totally loves my Mom's lasagna. Mind you...we were having this discussion as we were all pounding back the spaghetti with homemade sauce she'd thrown together for dinner.
If you can't already tell, I ADORE my two sisters. No matter what I'm there for them. They make me laugh. They know me. The real me inside. They know my strengths. They know and don't take advantage of my weaknesses. They hold me up when I'm down. They comfort me when I'm sad. They're good people. I'm so glad they're my sisters!
There I was pushing a grocery cart with Bear in the seat this morning. I was on my way out. As I walked, an older gentleman (I'd say in his 70s) walked along beside me.
Man: Are you from Vietnam?
Me: [Realizing he's talking to me] No.
Man: Are you from Korea?
Me: No.
Man: [Looking confused]
Me: I'm from the Philippines.
Man: Oh...you should be ashamed.
Me: [Blank]
Man: I'm just making a joke. [As he walks in another direction]
Once outside, I thought "What the HELL did he mean by that?"
Why should I be embarrassed about being born in the Philippines? My father served in the United States Navy! I grew up in California. People really should learn to shut their traps when they know NOTHING about another person. Whatever happened to that phrase "If you can't say anything nice to someone, then don't say anything?" Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm spitting nails about this man...but HE started it!